Mobile Imamzadeh in Canada: A Cinematic Narrative by Abdolreza Kahani

The film "Ziaratgah" directed by Abdolreza Kahani has been selected among the top 10 films in the competition section of the Edinburgh Film Festival 2024, a prestigious European festival that will hold its seventy-seventh edition this August. This film is the latest work of a filmmaker who gained attention in the 80s and 90s for popular films such as "Bist", "Hich", "Asb Heyvan Najibi Ast", and "Bikhod o Bijehat". Kahani has been making films outside of Iran since the late 90s and has produced various works during this time. His new film tells the story of a middle-aged Iranian worker named Nima in Montreal, Canada, who decides to create a mobile Imamzadeh behind his caravan car and visit Iranians living in Canada so they can deposit their donations and alms into the shrine he has built instead of traveling to Iran. His initiative receives a warm welcome, marking the beginning of psychological transformations in Nima. The main actors in "Ziaratgah" are Nima Sadri and Farhad Zarei, and the film was shot in Montreal, Canada. This film somewhat resembles some of Kahani's successful works in Iran, such as "Asb Heyvan Najibi Ast" and "Hich". In an interview with Radio Farda's "Sahneh", Kahani states that the idea for this film was inspired by recent events regarding the formation of Imamzadehs, saying, "I saw that Imamzadehs are produced in Iran, and outside Iran, Iranians travel long distances to visit them. I felt this could be a good context to bring me back to my past films made in Iran." Kahani considers religious beliefs as significant subjects for filmmaking, stating, "Iranians, although they are a forgetful nation, are also nostalgic. They sometimes engage in things they dislike with interest. For instance, you might see someone who appears very non-religious having an interest in Ashura and Tasua ceremonies because it might revive memories for them. The fact that Iranians cannot detach themselves from their surroundings has always been strange to me, as I have never wanted to cling to walls. I don't call this belief; I see it more as a kind of nostalgia." Kahani has made several films in English during his years abroad, some of which have very different themes and contexts from his previous works. He believes "Ziaratgah" is closer to his preferred filmmaking style than his other films made outside Iran, stating that if he wants to be very free, he would like to make such films with these characters. "When I left Iran, I had to work on more tragic stories or more serious films to adapt to the new conditions. Those films might not be mine. With this film, it feels like I found myself, found my past; a past that was lost due to the compulsion of migration. Now, after several years, I am finding what I want, and perhaps I can continue this path more easily." According to Kahani, the entire film "Ziaratgah" was shot by him using a mobile phone, and people without acting experience participated in it. Besides directing and filming, Kahani also handled the sound recording and editing, with only technical matters assisted by others. He explains his filmmaking method by saying, "It was a dream for me; to make a film where no one is beside me. I felt that with the help of technology, I could start without needing anyone or anything, entering people's lives without touching their life systems. If I had a large group, it would have been impossible to do this." Kahani expresses satisfaction with this filmmaking method, calling it "one-person cinema": "I am very happy with myself because I wanted to prove myself to myself. I wanted to say to people, I want to make a film with what you have; the same mobile phone. I did all the work of the film myself except for post-production. I am documenting this too. I have named this cinema one-person cinema. I have been asked to teach this style of filmmaking at one of the universities in Quebec." In response to a question about his satisfaction with this form of filmmaking outside Iran compared to his activities while in Iran, Kahani states, "When I was in Iran, various things bothered me. My colleagues troubled me because they were accommodating. People close to me sold me to the Ministry of Intelligence to gain expensive films and projects. I fought to screen my films in Iran. I did not lose hope, but I realized I had to live too. These factors led to my forced migration. On the other hand, I have loved not being in one place since childhood. Being in a fixed place bothers me." The creator of films like "Esteraahat Motlagh" expresses satisfaction with his current situation and activities outside Iran. "Am I satisfied being outside Iran? Of course, I am satisfied. Even if everything was perfect in Iran for me, I would still do this. The thing that makes me happiest is that I did not sell myself. I rejected many projects from the Ministry of Intelligence and Farabi and others. I have been telling my colleagues for years not to give films to them. I am happy that I was ahead of my peers. I proved myself to myself and demonstrated my power to myself. I am the living Abdolreza Kahani." The film "Ziaratgah" will premiere worldwide in the competition section of the Edinburgh Festival, which will take place from August 15 to 21 (August 25 to 31). The festival's grand prize is named after Sean Connery, the famous actor in cinema history, who was born in this city in Scotland.